10 Essentials: Jake Davis

Somewhere between his work on music videos and fashion campaigns, New York director Jake Davis finds the time to create Test Shots. It's hard to say what's so great about them (it doesn't hurt that the ladies are beautiful and the guys as stylish as they come), but we'd like to think that there's more to it than first impressions indicate—that in that brief, slow-mo, hi-def minute, you come to know something of the subject, of who they are beyond the superficial.

"When really cool or stylish friends would come over I'd want to shoot them, but I'm not a photographer, so I started doing the Test Shots to try to capture the moment before and after a great photograph [was] taken," Davis says. "I like them because in three days of production I can share something with the world that takes me a month and a half to do with music videos."

Davis says his next move is directing feature films, and he's waiting on the right project. For now, though, enjoy the Test Shots, and click through to see the things that inspire his magical minutes.

Photo: Justin Chung

1. Supreme Beanies

"I've been directing films [for] and have been friends with the Supreme guys for a really long time. They design the coolest hats. I'm usually not into wearing branding but I love everything they represent. The more bugged-out the colorways and graphics, the better."

2. Birkenstock Davos Clogs

"My buddy Michael Raphael brought these back from Japan. I grew up in Woodstock so the bohemian in me loves Birkenstock. They make a lot of great colors and they're really comfortable. My favorite is blaze orange. One day I'll get the nerve to wear them with a grey flannel suit. No socks, duh."

3. Café Select

"I have the strangest hours so you'll probably catch me at Select late night having some Rsti and decompressing from the day. My good friend Oliver Stumm is the owner and he has a special touch for ambiance. There's a great mix of creative people and music. I'm a really private person and it's one of the few places I feel comfortable at. I've lost many hours in the back room."

4. Head YouTek Radical Pro Racquet

"I was a competitive junior tennis player as a youth, and I'd love to play more than I get to in New York City. I'm what you call an aggressive baseliner and this light frame is great for my style of play. Once Agassi retired, this is like the next-generation frame that Andy Murray now uses. I'm definitely more of an Agassi guy than an Andy Murray guy, but I love this frame."

5. True Romance

"When I saw True Romance I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker. I still watch it once a month—I can recite all the dialogue. Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino are my heroes. I had this poster on my wall growing up because it kind of encapsulated everything I was into at the time. Quentin sampled so many different genres and put so many ideas together, and that's kind of what I gravitated towards. I didn't realize until much later, when I could really catch the references, why I related to it so much."

6. Santa Maria Novella Potpourri

"I'm really into scents. This is my absolute favorite and it's 100-percent organic. They use it in the R by 45rpm stores. It's really intense so you have to use it sparingly. I keep some in my closet, bathroom, and living room."

7. Olive's Cowboy Cookie

"My only vice is sweets—I have a terrible sweet tooth—and this cookie is a real problem. Olive's is on my walk from the apartment to the studio in Soho. It's been in Soho forever, so I'm like, 'Salute,' you know? I might have one a day."

8. New York Made Us This Way Matches

"I don't smoke but I always have these bodega-style matches on me. My manager Chris Black conceptualized them and they were made exclusively for my exhibition at Nepenthes. I like giving them to people I meet or leaving them behind wherever I go."

9. Molton Brown Re-Charge Black Pepper Bodyscrub Bar

"This soap has a very masculine scent and the women really love the smell, too. It's almost like a candle in your bathroom. $22 a bar and worth every penny. I know it sounds outrageous but try it and then let's talk."

10. RTH Broche

"This piece is one of the cooler gifts I've received. Rene Holguin is a real visionary and I'm really into what he's doing with RTH. He wears the broche almost like a bolo tie. It's a great way to personalize an outfit and give it a splash of color, catch someone's eye. I have a double-breasted topcoat that it's been living in for a while."

Somewhere between his work on music videos and fashion campaigns, New York director Jake Davis finds the time to create Test Shots. It's hard to say what's so great about them (it doesn't hurt that the ladies are beautiful and the guys as stylish as they come), but we'd like to think that there's more to it than first impressions indicate—that in that brief, slow-mo, hi-def minute, you come to know something of the subject, of who they are beyond the superficial.

"When really cool or stylish friends would come over I'd want to shoot them, but I'm not a photographer, so I started doing the Test Shots to try to capture the moment before and after a great photograph [was] taken," Davis says. "I like them because in three days of production I can share something with the world that takes me a month and a half to do with music videos."

Davis says his next move is directing feature films, and he's waiting on the right project. For now, though, enjoy the Test Shots, and click through to see the things that inspire his magical minutes.